​INDIANAPOLIS – As part of its Voter Experience Project, the Marion County Election Board is hosting its first public meeting this Saturday, September 21 at 11AM at the Julia Carson Government Center.

Marion County Clerk Beth White and her staff will highlight important themes from the VEP Study Group’s report released in August. Residents can ask questions and share their input on the features they would like to see in future voting systems. Saturday’s meeting is the first of six public meetings scheduled in September and October:

“Free, fair, open and accessible voting is essential to our democracy,” Marion County Clerk Beth White said. “I look forward to hearing from the voters about their experiences and how to make voting work for them.”

Launched in February, the Voter Experience Project is a two-step effort to explore and analyze future voting needs for Marion County. Earlier this year, the Board convened a study group made up of political party activists, city-county partners, elected officials and community organizations as part of the VEP’s first phase. The 18-members met eight times over a three-month period to learn more about election administration and voting systems, culminating in a comprehensive report available online at www.indy.gov/VEP. The public meetings are part of the second phase, and all feedback gathered at these forums will supplement the group’s report.

To further the information gathering phase, the Election Board published a Request for Expression of Interest for new election machines, equipment, systems and services for our jurisdiction. The REI is an informal process to gather information about the types of voting systems currently in the marketplace. Interested parties can access this information at www.indy.gov/ELECTION.

For more information about the VEP or the REI for voting equipment, visit www.indy.gov/VEP.